I have given evidence already on this matter
by Possum132
Summary: When Bartemius Crouch, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, interrogated Albus Dumbledore's young spy, Severus Snape, maybe he found out more than he wanted to know.
1. Chapter 1: Bartemius Crouch

**I have given evidence already on this matter**

_This vignette isn't part of the seven part series that starts with "Why Snape never eats here" – it's just a little story about Snape's friendships with Barty Crouch and Regulus Black, his interrogation by Barty's dad and how he feels about shopping his best mate Lucius Malfoy to the Ministry._

**Chapter 1: Bartemius Crouch**

He walks into the room, thinking, I'm running late already and I really don't have time for this, if Albus Dumbledore is prepared to vouch for the man, if the Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is prepared to vouch for him, then this is a formality - but if there's no public hearing I'll have to submit his confession and a written report to the Council for Magical Law, and Alastor Moody will foam at the mouth if I don't go through the motions. I've had the same conversation with Moody over and over again, yes I know that Death Eaters are scum, filth, I know _that_. Merlin's beard, I was the one who authorised the use of the Unforgiveables against them! But we need the information they can give us, if they'll co-operate, and Dumbledore says this fellow has been an invaluable source. If Dumbledore himself is prepared to make a deal with a Death Eater, I think that I can.

And I really _don't_ have time for this, Lucius Malfoy's trial starts at 9 am in Courtroom Ten, and that's going to be a three-ring circus, Abraxas Malfoy wields a lot of clout and while he knows that his son is as guilty as hell, he's willing to spend unlimited galleons to get him out of Azkaban - and there are plenty of gullible fools like Cornelius Fudge who are willing to go along with it, the Malfoys are such a distinguished, wealthy, _generous_ family! How can Fudge be so blind – he's head of the Department of Magical Catastrophes, he's had to clean up plenty of the nasty messes that Lucius Malfoy and his Death Eater friends have made ... Yes, I need to wrap this business up and get down to Courtroom Ten as soon as possible, this is such a waste of my time, but I promised Dumbledore that I'd see his spy as soon as I could.

He nods to Alastor Moody and Albus Dumbledore, the only other people in the room are the recording clerk and the prisoner chained to the chair. The tension in the room is palpable - the prisoner is radiating resentment, Moody is bristling with hostility, the young female clerk is nervous - only Dumbledore seems calm.

Well of course Moody is peeved, he hasn't been able to get anything out of the prisoner, but what would you expect - if the fellow has been able to deceive Voldemort for a year, not even Moody will be able to get him to talk. Of course with Moody it's _personal_, I'd feel the same way if Death Eaters had killed my wife, if I'd been the one to come home and find the Dark Mark flying over the house and my wife dead … my dear wife, the most faithful, the most devoted, the most supportive of wives! My family thought that I could have done better than a Hufflepuff, and she's not a beautiful woman, but I couldn't do this without her, she's the rock of my life. And she tried so hard to please my wretched parents, to give them grandchildren, to give them a grandson to carry on the name of Crouch – and she worries herself sick over that boy! Twelve OWLs and even better results in his NEWTs and he wouldn't take that position in the Ministry that I arranged for him, I don't know where he's living now or what he's doing … the useless, insolent whelp, he's _clever_, I'll grant him that, but he's got no drive, no ambition, there's nothing of me in him at all … he should have been Sorted into Ravenclaw, not Slytherin.

The clerk hands him a roll of parchment - the prisoner's confession, he really ought to have read it beforehand but last night was frantic - people are a bit hysterical, if Sirius Black, the Potters' best friend and the Boy Who Lived's own godfather, can be a Death Eater, then anyone can be a Death Eater, and they're jumping at shadows. Black is in Azkaban now, he must be a complete fanatic, he absolutely refuses to name any of his fellow Death Eaters. Or perhaps he's mad - the way he behaved when he was arrested, laughing hysterically ... and then he thinks, even if Black did talk, I couldn't let him out of Azkaban, public opinion is so strongly against him it would be political suicide.

He unrolls the parchment, turns to the prisoner - the fellow mustn't have been in custody for long, because he's quite presentable, his robes are still clean, though his hair is dirty. He's thin, with a hooked nose, sallow complexion, shoulder length black hair and black eyes, still a boy really, he couldn't be any more than twenty-two at the most. So this is Dumbledore's spy ... a sulky, defiant youth. Well, age means nothing – some of Voldemort's most vicious supporters have been mere youths.

The prisoner doesn't avoid his gaze, he doesn't seem to be in any way cowed or ashamed at the prospect of being personally interrogated by the man who is Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and only one step away from being the Minister for Magic, quite the contrary, and this grates with him. He thinks, you may be Dumbledore's pet Death Eater, but you'd better watch your step or you'll find yourself spending a few days in Azkaban. A few days with the Dementors, my lad, and you won't be quite so cocky.

He glances at the parchment, what's the fellow's name again – Severus Snape? He says, curtly, "Severus Snape, you have been brought here today to answer charges that you are a servant of the Dark wizard who styles himself Lord Voldemort, that you are a Death Eater. How do you answer?"

Snape's eyes flicker to Dumbledore, and Dumbledore answers for him, "Severus Snape was a Death Eater but he left Voldemort's service forever nearly a year ago. He turned spy for me and provided me with much valuable information."

He asks, "Dumbledore, how do you know that Snape isn't a double-agent? How do you know that you can trust him?"

This question seems to have rattled Snape a little, Snape turns his head to look at Dumbledore and then he recognises the hawk profile, he's seen him somewhere before ... but _where_? And then he remembers where he's seen the face ... Snape was with Barty that day in Diagon Alley, that day that Barty had made it painfully obvious that he didn't want to speak to his father. He'd seen the two of them walking down Diagon Alley together, and then they'd turned into Knockturn Alley, in a transparent effort to avoid him. And then he remembers where he's seen the _name_ before ... it's a faint, distant memory ... a letter that Barty had sent to his mother, he'd seen it in lying on the dining table, "Dear Mother, if you don't mind, I'd like to stay with Severus and a couple of his friends for a few days after graduation. I'm sure I've mentioned his friends before - Rosier and Wilkes - they've got a flat in London." Of course he'd had to miss Barty's graduation, Voldemort was moving openly against the Ministry by then, for Merlin's sake he was rarely ever home at the time and he couldn't spare a minute away from the office!

And now he's feeling very uneasy ... Snape is a self-confessed Death Eater, and Rosier and Wilkes were Death Eaters too, they're both dead now, killed resisting arrest - what the hell was Barty doing with a pack of Death Eaters? And then he _knows_, and his first thought is, dear god, it will kill his mother if it ever comes out, and his second thought is, it will ruin my career, a Death Eater son will ruin my chances of ever becoming Minister for Magic. Damn the stupid, impressionable boy, why was he ever born? His mother nearly died giving birth to him, and he will be the death of her yet! Damn him, damn the bloody little fool! How could Barty have been so stupid as to mindlessly follow his friends and get mixed up with Voldemort - and what has he done? Sweet Merlin, what has Barty done? What has he _done_?

He can hear Dumbledore speaking, answering his question, and he wrenches his attention back to what Dumbledore is saying, "That is a matter between myself and Severus Snape."

Moody looks deeply dissatisfied with this answer, but frankly, he couldn't give a damn why Dumbledore trusts Snape - he has bigger problems right now to think about. Why hasn't Snape named Barty as a Death Eater? He's named a lot of others, not that Albus Dumbledore's spy is going to be called to give evidence against them, Dumbledore has made that clear, he wants the existence of his spy kept a secret, at least until Voldemort is found.

Snape is waiting for the next question, the clerk's quill is poised to record it, Moody looks impatient - and suddenly he is acutely aware of Moody, the Auror Office's most relentless, most implacable hunter of Death Eaters. If Moody knew, if Moody so much as suspected ... Moody mustn't know, Moody mustn't know about Barty, not yet, not until he's had time to think ... he must act normally, ask another question.

He asks, "When did you become a Death Eater? When did you take the Dark Mark?" Snape's eyes switch to the parchment in his hands, and sullenly he replies, "When I was eighteen. It's all written down in my confession."

And now he's not just shocked, he's angry, really angry, almost trembling with anger, and he thinks, and when did Barty become a Death Eater? How old was my son when he took the Dark Mark? He's only nineteen now! And who talked him into it? Was it you, Snape? Oh, you've wriggled out of trouble, Severus Snape, you had the sense to rejoin the winning side in time, but what about Barty? And then he gets a grip on himself, he's imagining things, Barty is NOT a Death Eater. So many young Slytherins joined Voldemort - people are starting to say that every witch or wizard who goes bad is a Slytherin, and that is not only untrue, it's insulting - of course Barty must have known a few of them at school, but that's not proof. There's no _proof_. And Snape hasn't named Barty as a Death Eater.

He looks through the list of names in the confession, people that Snape has killed or helped to kill, wizards' names anyway, there are no Muggles' names, just the bald statement, "I killed countless Muggles," and then the name Regulus Black leaps out at him. Regulus! Younger brother of the notorious Sirius Black, reviled betrayer of the Potters, and Barty's best friend at school - what does it say here, Regulus Black was a Death Eater! And then he knows that he's been clutching at straws, and he thinks, the filthy little swine, did he join Voldemort just to spite me? I know he hates me - but _this_ much?

He realises that Moody is looking at him oddly ... the parchment is twisted and crumpled in his hands. He untwists it and reads a little further. Regulus Black betrayed Voldemort, turned against him! His heart jumps in his chest and he thinks, if Regulus Black was another one of Dumbledore's spies, he would have named names ... he would have named Barty. Does Dumbledore know? But if he knows, why hasn't he said something, _done_ something?

He looks at Dumbledore, asks, "Dumbledore, was Regulus Black another one of your agents?"

Dumbledore shakes his head, says, "I was unaware that Regulus Black had left Voldemort's service until it was too late, until it was too late to help him."

He stifles his relief, keeps his face impassive, he mustn't give anything away, and then he remembers that Dumbledore is a Legilimens, probably he wouldn't breach Ministry guidelines on the use of the spell, but best to avoid eye contact, and he'd better find some reason to be interested in Regulus Black.

He reads the next words on the parchment. "The Dark Lord ordered me to execute Black," and he asks, for something to say, "How did Black die?"

Snape looks at him poisonously and answers with just one word, "_Crucio_."

That's not exactly a surprise, Voldemort and his Death Eaters don't always use the _Avada Kedavra_ to commit murder, going by the state of some of the bodies that they've found. He looks back at the parchment, and the last words catch his eye, "I enjoy killing. I don't do it any more. I know it is wrong," and he thinks, it's not just _killing_, it's rape and torture as well ... and the worst crimes have been against the Muggles, the Muggle Prime Minister has been _very_ angry indeed. And we're not living in the days of Wendelin the Weird any longer, the Muggles have got weapons of terrifying power now, and where will we be if sixty million Muggles turn on us! How many wizards are there in Britain? Ten thousand? Voldemort and his pureblood Death Eaters don't know enough about the Muggles to be frightened of them! Or ... a truly alarming idea ... they've been deliberately provoking them, trying to start a war between wizards and Muggles. People think that the Ministry spends most of its time trying to prevent the Muggles finding out about us so we won't be bothered by them asking for magical solutions to their problems – I don't think so! The Muggles would be likely to try to kill us all if they knew about us – and if they knew what Voldemort wants to do to them, what he and his Death Eaters have done ...

And then the full horror hits him, _Barty is one of them_, my son is one of these foul, disgusting creatures ... and I _know_ what he's done, I know what the Death Eaters do, I know all about the ugly details that the Ministry keeps out of the _Daily Prophet_, out of respect for the relatives and because it would be bad for morale, bad for public confidence.

He can feel the nerve twitching in his temple, he can feel Dumbledore's eyes on him, and now he's angry even with Dumbledore, don't look at me like _that_, Dumbledore, I know you don't approve of my decision to authorise the use of the Unforgiveable Curses, and you don't approve of the alliance with the Dementors either - but you're a high-minded Gryffindor, too principled to use the Killing Curse against even Grindelwald himself! But maybe you'd think differently if it was _you_ who had to mop up after the Death Eaters ... and do you really know what a dirty little beast you're sheltering at Hogarts, what kind of a nauseating thrill he gets out of killing people? It takes a wizard of strong character to use the _Avada Kedavra_ and not be corrupted, and not want to use it again, and again - that curse is toxic!

He thinks, damn these squeamish Gryffindors, it's up to us Slytherins to make the hard decisions, and then they say that we're ruthless - but it wasn't a decision that I made lightly, to fight fire with fire and authorise the use of the Unforgiveables. Millicent Bagnold would never have had the guts to make _that_ decision – and I had no choice ... we were losing, the situation was desperate until Voldemort fell. And that is a troubling mystery - there's no doubt that Voldemort lost his powers when he attacked the Potter child, but where is he? And _what_ is he? Dumbledore says that his body has been destroyed but somehow he's still alive. And what does Dumbledore's spy know of this? I've got to forget Barty and get on with my job, find out if Snape has any useful information, we've _got_ to catch Voldemort, and if I think for a minute that Snape is holding anything back he'll go to Azkaban, I don't care what Dumbledore says – if Snape didn't tell Dumbledore about Barty, what else didn't he tell him?

He asks, "What do you know of Voldemort's attack on the Potters? Why did he choose to attack a _baby_? And where is he now?"

Snape doesn't like this question, he's openly insolent, snarling, "I don't know! The Dark Lord didn't tell me everything, and what I do know, I've already told Dumbledore! I've told Dumbledore the name of every Death Eater I ever worked with!"

And with a jolt he realises - this is a _threat_. Snape knows that I know, and he's threatening me! Is it blackmail? Or is he playing both ends against the middle, has he betrayed Voldemort in the hopes of biding his time and becoming the next Dark Lord – is Barty one of his supporters, is that why he's looking after him? It can't be for the sake of a schoolboy friendship, friendship would mean nothing to a Death Eater, particularly this one, Dumbledore told me yesterday that half the Death Eaters in Azkaban are only there because of the information that Snape has provided. And then a truly horrible idea crosses his mind – is it more than friendship? Are Barty and Snape lovers? No, that's insane ...

He stares into the black eyes opposite, and for a moment he thinks, go on, say it, do your worst, Barty is no son of mine, he stopped being my son the day that he became a Death Eater. But then he imagines the headlines in the _Daily Prophet_ – the string of Slytherin names ... Snape, Rosier, Wilkes, Black, Crouch. What a generation of vipers! And if the truth about Barty comes out, it will kill his mother, she isn't well, the Healers at St Mungo's are useless, we've even tried alternative medicines, Muggle medicines, but nothing helps with these nervous attacks, they get worse all the time ... it will kill his mother and it will end my career, and that idiot Fudge will be Minister for Magic when Millicent Bagnold retires – if Dumbledore doesn't want the job. And the Death Eaters have been running scared since Voldemort disappeared ... they won't dare to try anything, not _now_, surely Barty's smart enough to keep his head down, keep out of trouble – because if he's ever brought before the Wizengamot he's on his own, he'd better not look to _me_ to help him!

Snape is smirking, the filthy little bastard knows that he's won ... and he turns to Moody, tells him, "I've got no more time for this, I should have been in Courtroom Ten five minutes ago, you can release Snape into Dumbledore's custody - and give him back his wand."

But he's thinking, you might have won this round, Snape, but you'd better keep your nose clean, you'd better stay at Hogwarts under Dumbledore's eye, because if there's one whisper of suspicion that you've stepped out of line I'll move heaven and earth to make sure that you spend the rest of your life in Azkaban.


	2. Chapter 2: Severus Snape

**Chapter 2: Severus Snape**

It's been a month since it happened, a month since the Dark Lord fell, a month since Lily died and the brat lived, the _Brat Who Lived_, but he's been trying not to think about that. It's been a month of hell – correction, a month of purgatory, it has been four days of hell, the four days since he was arrested, the four days he's spent in the Ministry's holding cells.

Purgatory or limbo … he's a bit hazy about these Muggle religious ideas but it's some kind of place where nothing happens, just waiting around. And that's how it's felt for a month – nothing. It's like someone has taken a Muggle vacuum cleaner and sucked out all his insides, leaving him completely empty. There's just an emptiness, a gnawing emptiness, and he can't feel anything, just numbness. Food has no taste and alcohol has no effect – he only eats because Dumbledore tells him to eat, he only sleeps because Dumbledore comes down to the dungeons every evening, watches him while he brushes his teeth, puts him into bed and gives him a goblet of Dreamless Sleep potion, and he only gets up in the morning because Dumbledore sends a house-elf to nag him.

Strangely, there's been no problem with his classes, the students seem even more afraid of him now than when he shouted, when he almost pulled his hair out with frustration when they melted their cauldrons, _exploded_ their cauldrons … when the dunderheads thought that if the potion wasn't thickening properly after adding _one_ rat spleen, then why not just add a double handful! He's been sleepwalking through his classes, he never gets angry now, he never raises his voice. And he doesn't notice the attractive girls, either, the ones who give their young Potions master bold looks, come hither looks, _I won't go running to Professor Dumbledore if you don't_ … he has no appetites at all, not even for revenge. He'd felt nothing at all when Sirius Black was arrested, not even mortification that he'd been wrong – he'd always fingered Lupin as the traitor, as the Dark Lord's source of information close to the Potters, he'd agued with Dumbledore about it any number of times – or surprise that Pettigrew, the cowardly little rat who'd never dared to hex him when they were all at school together, had had the guts to take on Black.

Being arrested has, in a strange way, been good for him, because you don't know how sweet liberty is until it's taken away from you … and when he wouldn't talk - because if Sirius Black is one of the Dark Lord's creatures, if Sirius Black is a Death Eater, then anyone could be a Death Eater, even Alastor Moody himself - he'd got a dose of _crucio_. Moody had given him Veritaserum first, but that had just made him gag, he's swallowed so many gallons of the antidote to the stuff, so Moody had tried something else, he'd brought in a Ministry Legilimens, and when that hadn't worked, he'd tried something stronger. Oh yes, Crouch has authorized the use of the Unforgiveables against suspects now, and the Cruciatus Curse had hurt, though not as much as when it's the Dark Lord dishing it out. He'd thought – at least I can still feel _pain_, and then he'd felt anger, he'd felt rage and hate, and rage and hate have always made him strong.

Fuck Moody … the Ministry's champion Death Eater hunter, they've met before, but on that occasion he was wearing his mask and Death Eater robes, and Moody hasn't recognised him as the wizard who hit him with the bone-breaking curse that destroyed his leg, probably Moody wasn't an agent of the Dark Lord but that didn't matter any more, it was personal now. When Moody had tried the Imperius Curse, he'd conned Moody for a while, acted as if he was under the influence of the curse right up to the point where he'd told Moody to shove his wooden leg up his arse. A little rational voice at the back of his head had whispered that this wasn't a smart move, this wasn't Slytherin thinking, but he was in no mood to be rational, there was no way that he was going to give Moody the satisfaction, he'd rather die first - and when the Headmaster found out that Moody had killed his spy, Moody would be in for a right kicking. But when Moody had realized that he wasn't getting anywhere, the bastard had broken his wand, and that had _hurt_, a wizard without a wand is hardly more than a filthy Muggle.

Moody is supposed to be smart but he wonders about that, it was the oldest trick in the book putting him in the same cell as Lucius for a while, it's a Muggle trick. He'd read all about it in his father's books about the Muggle version of the war against Grindelwald, the books about prisoners making daring escapes, _The Wooden Horse_ and _The Great Escape_ and the others … they always put two prisoners in the same cell and listen to what they say to each other through hidden microphones. Lucius has been in Azkaban, and Azkaban sounds bad, very bad – Stalag 13 or Colditz would be a walk in the park compared to Azkaban.

He'd never seen Lucius so scruffy, and he'd looked ten years older, but it was still good to see him, it was still good to see his best friend. Lucius' trial is coming up soon but he'll be OK, his father Abraxas will move heaven and earth to get his son out of prison, and spend as many galleons as it takes. Lucius hadn't lost his wits in Azkaban, and he'd had the good sense to keep the conversation casual, outrage that one of Dumbledore's own staff should be suspected of Death Eater activity, a whinge about the Ministry's anti-Slytherin bias, and some pious exclaiming over the martyred Potters and the Boy Who Lived. He'd wished Lucius hadn't brought that up but it was unavoidable, really, all good citizens were rejoicing over the disappearance of the Dark Lord. And the fact that the brat had lived … James Potter's brat had lived, and Lily had died.

Time to think of something else … Merlin, it had been scary what Lucius had told him about Azkaban – Lucius had tried not to think about Narcissa and Draco, because any happy thought brought the Dementors swarming around his cell. Azkaban! He's not going there, he'd rather die first … and he'd remembered what his mother said about Azkaban.

It was right at the end of the summer holidays before the start of seventh year, his father had known better than to piss him off since he turned seventeen, since he came of age and could use magic away from Hogwarts, the filthy Muggle had known to watch his manners around his mother, because now that he could use magic he could look after them both. He'd been lurking in his bedroom, half-reading a book and half-thinking about the Muggle prick teasing bitch who let him kiss her in the back row of the cinema, she let him put his hand up her blouse, she even let him slip his hand under her skirt but she wouldn't let him go any further, like he wanted a Muggle anyway but he'd never dare to touch a Hogwarts witch, when the shouting started in the kitchen.

Fucking hell, what was his father saying this time? Suggesting that he wasn't even his son, oh that's rich, dad - I see _your_ nose every time I look in the mirror … and then it was more than shouting, he could hear things being smashed, the filthy Muggle is drunk again and it's four o'clock in the afternoon! He'd walked into the kitchen with his wand in his hand and when he saw his father standing there with his fist raised, and his mother cowering, it had just been too much. How dare a Muggle raise his hand to a witch! He'd screamed _crucio_ ... and his mother had flung herself on him, dragged the wand out of his hand, she'd been hysterical, babbling that it was an Unforgiveable Curse, it would mean Azkaban, never use that curse, it will be Azkaban if you use that curse.

His bloody mother! How could a _witch_ let a Muggle treat her like that! He'd been furious with her, and so he'd got his school stuff and walked out of the house that day, and he hasn't been back to Spinner's End since ... Spinner's End, what a foul Muggle dump! He'd been prepared to do anything to get away from Spinner's End, he'd had his hopes pinned on getting a job as a Gringotts curse breaker, he'd been absolutely gutted when he got the owl, "_Thank you very much for your application but unfortunately there are no suitable positions available at this time ..._" and he couldn't understand it, his NEWT results were outstanding. Lucius had said, it's anti-Slytherin prejudice, a Slytherin hasn't got a chance unless he's well-connected - and there's someone I want you to meet, someone who can help you. At first he'd been reluctant to meet the leader of the party that espoused the cause of blood purity, but then he'd thought, I've got nothing to lose, and no-one knows that I'm a half-blood anyway.

His first meeting with the Dark Lord had been a shock, Lucius had shown him into the Dark Lord's room, and then backed out of his presence, he'd been a little surprised to see Lucius, who considered himself to be the closest thing the wizarding world had to royalty, behaving in such a respectful, even servile, fashion ... and then the Dark Lord had looked into his eyes, and all his most hideous, humiliating, wretched memories had come racing through his mind, as vividly as a Muggle film. His father's blows and insults ... the squalid little house in Spinner's End ... second hand robes and tatty books ... the Marauders' torments ... Lily's voice, _I'd wash your pants, if I were you, Snivellus_ ... the werewolf slavering over him in the Shrieking Shack ... Dumbledore threatening him with expulsion if he said a word about Lupin ... the sordid groping with the Muggle bitch ...

But the Dark Lord had been ... kind ... to him, the Dark Lord hadn't been concerned that he was a lowly half-blood, he'd said _this will be our little secret_, and the Dark Lord actually seemed to understand how he felt about his mother – she was a witch, she could have hexed his father to hell and back so why didn't she, why didn't she use her magic? – and his father, the filthy Muggle. And the Dark Lord had told him that an unpleasant memory can be a source of strength, not weakness, told him how the most powerful of all curses, the _Avada Kedavra_, requires a memory that inspires hate and anger, had promised to have him taught the curse ... and the tutor selected by the Dark Lord had been none other than bold, beautiful, sexy Bellatrix Black, oh yes he'd been more than a little infatuated with Bella in those days. And the Killing Curse had been a buzz to use, even on Muggles - better than sex, better than "recreational" potions.

When the Dark Lord had told him that there was no good and evil, no right and wrong, only power, and those too weak to seek it, he'd been impressed, that was certainly how the world worked, even if Slytherins were the only ones honest enough to acknowledge it. The Gryffindors wrapped it up in a lot of high-sounding words, but that's what it was really about – power. And everyone who had ever had power over him had used it to hurt him or manipulate him, everyone except Lily, she knew he was a half-blood and she must have guessed how he felt about her, not that he was in _love_ with her or anything, and she had never used it against him. Dumbledore was a different matter, Dumbledore had acted like he cared, at least a bit, right up until the point when he'd finally got something on the Marauders, something that could get them expelled ... and then the Headmaster had made it clear where the power lay – with the Gryffindors. Oh yes, it was all about power, when you stripped away the kindly manner and the sherbet lemons and the twinkling eyes, it was just about power – who had it, and who didn't.

And the Dark Lord had appreciated his abilities, the Dark Lord had told him that he had great potential, that he would be a valuable asset – and when the Dark Lord was Minister for Magic, he would reward those who had been devoted, those who had given faithful service. He'd been _honoured_ that the Dark Lord had chosen him to join his elite followers, the Death Eaters, he'd been avid to explore the kind of Dark magic that he'd only ever read about before, and the Dark Lord was a great wizard, it was only right that his followers should show him proper respect, approach him on bended knee and kiss his robes. For the first few years it had been fine, sure, he'd seen – and done - some nasty things, but the Muggles deserved everything they got, and it was _war_ against the Ministry, an _underground_ war, a _guerrilla_ war, but still a war. It was exciting, intoxicating, and it wasn't always piss-easy Muggle-baiting, often it was _dangerous_, when they duelled with the Aurors and the Order of the Phoenix. And sometimes they – the reckless young ones he hung around with, anyway - got sick of having to be so secretive, they'd go looking for trouble, drinking and picking up girls in the Aurors' pubs, itching to start a fight, itching to openly declare their allegiance to the greatest, the most powerful, the most charismatic wizard in the world.

Yes, the Dark Lord was a great wizard, and he did great things - terrible things, but great things - and he would do even greater things when he was the Minister for Magic. And the Dark Lord had praised him and rewarded him, given him personal tuition in Legilimency and Occlumency, he didn't have to worry about money, the Dark Lord provided everything ... and he was rarely singled out for punishment, OK, once or twice he'd got a slap over the wrist because everyone does, even Lucius and Bella, the Dark Lord's favourites amongst the younger Death Eaters, got the occasional taste of the Cruciatus Curse. Which hurt, _really_ hurt, but he'd taken the Dark Mark, it was his master's prerogative to punish him if he disappointed his master, he couldn't resent that.

Oh yes, he was junior but rising fast in the Dark Lord's favour – until the Dark Lord sent him to Hogwarts to spy on Dumbledore. He'd overheard the god-damn prophecy, and there was no doubt that it was the real deal, Trelawney wasn't faking _that_, so he'd gone running to the Dark Lord with it, and only a few months after that everything had gone pear-shaped. The Dark Lord had called them together, told them that he was going after the Potters and their child ... and he hadn't been quick enough to hide his feelings, the Dark Lord had seen right through him, he'd said, "I can see you're … attracted … to the Mudblood witch. You can have her when I've killed Potter and the boy." The others had sniggered – they'd known what this meant – a Memory Charm strong enough to obliterate Lily's memories of James and the baby, leaving her an empty shell, it would be worse than killing her, nearly as bad as a Dementor's Kiss, she'd be just a body to _use. _He couldn't let that happen, and he couldn't let the brat die, not when he'd bumped into her by carefully orchestrated chance in the Leaky Cauldron not long after it was born, he'd seen the tiny, mewling lump in her arms and realised how much she loved it, she'd do anything to protect her little Potter-clone.

So he'd gone to the Headmaster, to the only wizard the Dark Lord ever feared, and blurted it all out, begged Dumbledore to protect Lily ... and somehow he'd ended up spying on the Dark Lord for Dumbledore, and being a Death Eater was no longer a thrilling game that he was certain of winning, it was a deadly serious business.

And in that last year, after he'd started spying for Dumbledore, things had changed - the war had really hotted up and the Dark Lord had become increasingly angry and frustrated because they couldn't locate the Potters and he didn't want to make the final move until the boy was dead and out of the way. The attacks on the Muggles had got really out of hand, he'd wondered if the Dark Lord was actually _trying_ to start a war between wizards and Muggles, and the Dark Lord had forged some alliances that made him very uneasy, with the giants, the vampires and even the werewolves - with that foul beast Fenrir Greyback. And that had really worried him – surely the Dark Lord knew that Greyback deliberately attacked children, but only the children of wizard families, he wasn't interested in Muggles, a Muggle has no magic and can't become a werewolf, a Muggle bitten by a werewolf just dies. He'd realised that Dumbledore was right, if the Dark Lord couldn't be Minister for Magic, he was prepared to destroy the whole of the wizarding world, like a kid who'd rather smash a toy than share it.

Yes, things had changed in that last year, when the Dark Lord had started to suspect that someone had turned traitor he'd gone a bit odd, even a bit paranoid. The punishments had become more frequent, more prolonged and more erratic, sometimes there were gruelling tests of loyalty, when they'd had to do such pointlessly cruel things that it made him feel a bit ... sick, and the Dark Lord had been at him relentlessly to find a way to get Dumbledore to tell him the rest of the prophecy. And then Regulus Black had cracked up, lost his nerve, tried to leave the Dark Lord's service, and _that_ had been a learning curve. It was fair enough that the Dark Lord had decided to kill Regulus, but the way that it had been done had been an educational experience, oh yes, the things the Dark Lord had done to Regulus before he was executed had been truly inventive – and not in a good way. Regulus' death had brought home to him – and very forcefully – that the Dark Mark branded on his left arm was forever, it meant a lifetime of service or death, and it was probably going to be death, he was going to get caught out lying to the Dark Lord long before the Potter boy grew up and had _the power to vanquish the Dark Lord_.

Playing the role of a double-agent, spying on Dumbledore for the Dark Lord and spying on the Dark Lord for Dumbledore, had been _hard_, much harder than he'd ever thought it would be when he'd jumped at Dumbledore's offer, and he'd been through seven hells that last year, trying to keep Lily safe, and for nothing, and maybe it would be Azkaban anyway ... though Dumbledore had promised to protect him, and he trusted Dumbledore. When he'd gone to Dumbledore, he'd known that he was in _serious_ trouble, _really_ serious trouble, this time it would be much more than a thrashing with his father's belt or fifty points from Slytherin for your disgraceful behaviour Mr Snape, it would be Azkaban, and a lot worse than that when the whole story came out. The entire Auror Corps would be laughing over it – have you heard, it's absolutely _delicious_, that filthy Death Eater Severus Snape has a thing for James Potter's wife, not that Lily would ever have looked at the greasy Slytherin git, not when she could have handsome, charming, athletic, talented, wealthy, pureblood James Potter, such a good family, the Potters, and this is even better - Snape is a _half-blood_, his father was some drunken penniless Muggle! James would know, and the rest of the Marauders ... he couldn't bear to think of it, he'd rather die first. So he'd stood in front of the Headmaster's desk, with his wand in his hand, a seething cauldron of fear and shame and rage, thinking, when the Aurors arrive I am _not_ going to go quietly, hell no, and maybe I should just do it myself, get it over and done with ... and then Dumbledore had flipped the wand out of his hand without uttering a word, told him to shut up and sit down, and he'd been so surprised, and so impressed by the power that the old man had so casually displayed, that he'd done as he was told. And then Dumbledore had been very matter-of-fact, had calmly discussed how he might best help Lily to evade the Dark Lord, had pointed out that unless the Dark Lord was vanquished, Lily would never be safe, had explained how valuable the intelligence that he could provide would be, had promised to tell no one ... and that had made sense, a lot more sense than Azkaban or killing himself.

And that was how it had started off, he was useful to Dumbledore and Dumbledore was useful to him, he didn't have to like the old bastard, he just had to work for him, but it had become more than that. He'd started to think that Dumbledore actually cared about him, worried about him when he was summoned to the Dark Lord, knew how terrifying it was when he had to let the Dark Lord into his mind, when he had to guard his mind from the Dark Lord and not let him know that he was guarding it. And Dumbledore didn't give him a hard time about the things that he'd done for the Dark Lord, the things he'd continued to do, that was something that they didn't talk about more than was strictly necessary, they both knew that he had a dirty job to do and that was that. Dumbledore never actually said anything to him, it was more what he _didn't_ say and _didn't_ ask about that had started to make him feel safe with Dumbledore, and when he'd had a particularly hard time with the Dark Lord, the Headmaster seemed to know and would let his hand rest on his shoulder for a moment, and that was comforting.

So he hadn't worried too much when he was first arrested, surely the Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry would be informed immediately if one of his staff was accused of Death Eater activity, and Dumbledore would sort everything out. But Dumbledore hadn't come for him, and by the third day he'd really wanted Dumbledore, really needed him, and he'd started to be really afraid, he'd started to think, the Headmaster doesn't need me any more now that the Dark Lord has fallen, I've got no more information to give him – and I've _failed_ him, I didn't know about Black, I couldn't save Lily, he's _angry_ with me, and he'll let them throw me into Azkaban, he doesn't care about me. He'd been so distraught that he would have cried but he never cries, he didn't even cry when Lily died, and they'd be watching him anyway, any sign of weakness and Moody would be on him like a starving thestral on a dead sheep. And then he'd heard Dumbledore's voice in the corridor and he'd got a grip on himself, but he didn't try to hide how pleased he was to see the Headmaster. And when Dumbledore acknowledged him, patted his arm gently, he'd smirked at Moody, the boot was on the other foot now ...

But then Dumbledore had wanted him to sign a confession, a list of the things he's done for the Dark Lord, and he'd baulked at that … but Dumbledore had explained, if he signs a written confession it will be quick, a private hearing before the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, and the confession will be confidential, no one else has to know. He'll just have to say that he's sorry for what he's done and Dumbledore will vouch for him, tell Crouch that he left the service of the Dark Lord a long time ago and turned spy for the side of the Light. So he'd provided the information, reluctantly, Moody had insisted on being present, didn't Dumbledore realise that he was forcing him to hand weapons to Moody, knowledge that Moody could – and would - use against him? And although Dumbledore has never asked prying questions, has never uttered a word of reproach to him, has never shown revulsion or anger, he'd guessed at what the Headmaster - a wizard so principled that he hadn't used the Killing Curse against even Grindelwald himself - must be thinking. Of course Dumbledore must have a pretty good idea of the sorts of things he'd done, but he'd hoped that Dumbledore would never have to know the details, and it had made him cringe to have to vomit it all up.

He'd glossed over the Muggles, it's better just to say, "I killed countless Muggles," no need to go into details, Dumbledore has a soft spot for Muggles and it's best if he doesn't know about the nasty little game they played with the Muggles - and he'd choked a bit when they got to Regulus Black, that had been ugly, very ugly. Poor bloody Regulus, he didn't have the nerve or the ability … and when he decided that he wanted out, he must have gone to his older brother Sirius - Sirius Black, Golden Gryffindor, member of the Order of the Phoenix! He'd thought, Sirius must have shopped his kid brother to the Dark Lord, and I bet it was Sirius' idea to finger me for the job of executioner, because I was friends with Regulus when we both at school. One of the Dark Lord's little tests of loyalty, and I wasn't allowed to make it quick, Regulus had to _suffer_ ... and everyone watched. And it's a daisy chain, if the Dark Lord had found out I'd turned traitor, he would probably have made Lucius do it, because he's my friend.

Oh yes, Sirius Black had betrayed his brother, and then he'd betrayed his best friend, the dirty dog, and they say that we Slytherins are treacherous! His lip had curled with disgust at the thought of Black, and then he'd realised - I've done what Black did, I've betrayed my friends, Wilkes and Rosier are dead and Lucius went to Azkaban because of me, because of the information I gave to Dumbledore, and Lucius might be going back again – for the rest of his life. And then he'd felt sick, if Lucius is sent back to Azkaban, Narcissa will completely fall apart, and they've got a kid, too, Draco is only a baby, what have I done? I know that Lucius is a nasty bastard but he's still my friend, and I never intended this to happen, I just wanted to save Lily ...

But he hadn't had the opportunity to dwell too much over the awful mess he'd made of his life, because Moody was badgering away at him, worrying at him until he got the admission that he wanted - the hypocritical _prick_, Moody's used the Avada Kedavra, he knows what a kick it is - but eventually he'd been so worn down that he'd muttered, "I enjoy killing. I don't do it any more. I know it is wrong," and finally Moody had left him alone with Dumbledore.

Then he'd told Dumbledore about the thing that's really upset him, Moody broke his wand, he's had that wand since before he went to Hogwarts and it's almost part of him - oak, dragon heartstring, thirteen inches – to have to watch it being broken in front of his eyes had been almost physically painful. And he feels blind and naked without it, even though they took his wand away from him the moment that they arrested him, the knowledge that it still existed and the hope of getting it back had been some comfort. Dumbledore had been sympathetic, given him some of his blasted sweets, promised that Crouch would see him first thing tomorrow morning – and they'll go to Ollivanders as soon as he's released.

And now he's waiting for Crouch, the examination should just be a formality, he's provided the confession that Crouch demanded, and there's no point in Crouch asking him questions – he's already told Dumbledore everything he knows. He's nervous but he's determined not to show it, he's thinking, I can get through this, shit, I lied to the Dark Lord for nearly a year and got away with it, I can handle this. But the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement is a busy man, he's running late, and they've been waiting for ten minutes. It's been a tense ten minutes, no one has said a word but Moody is radiating contempt and disgust, the young female recording clerk – who he vaguely recognises from his student days at Hogwarts – is anxious, and his nervousness is turning into irritation by the time Crouch walks through the door, takes the confession from the recording clerk, unrolls it and turns to him.

So this is Barty's dad! He'd almost forgotten about Barty, he hasn't seen Barty Crouch in well over a year, not since before he started teaching at Hogwarts ... and come to think of it, he's never mentioned Barty to Dumbledore, he'd never been on a mission with Barty and he'd just forgotten about him - it didn't seem important, there was so much other stuff happening. Crouch was beyond suspicion, and Barty wasn't one of the leaks in the Ministry, he wouldn't have anything to do with his father and he'd turned down the job in the Ministry that his father had arranged, which he'd thought at the time was a bit odd, because if Barty sucked up to his father and worked at the Ministry surely he'd be more useful to the Dark Lord ... whatever, it wasn't his business. So, oddly enough, he hadn't said anything to Dumbledore, and so unless someone else has ratted on Barty, Crouch still doesn't know that his son is a Death Eater, what a sick joke, the son of the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement is a Death Eater, the son of the man tipped to be the next Minister for Magic belongs to the Dark Lord! And he knows that he should tell Dumbledore, but he thinks, what's the point of dragging Barty into this, he's just a kid and he probably hasn't done anything really bad, not like me, not like some of the stuff I've done, and it's all over anyway, it's all over now that the Dark Lord has fallen - and Barty was once a friend, and he didn't relish the thought of sending yet another friend to Azkaban, if he doesn't have to.

And then he wonders if Crouch will recognise him, he's only ever seen him once before, in the distance, and it was a long time ago, Crouch was still only the Head of the Auror Office, that day he was with Barty in Diagon Alley, that day that Barty had insisted that they turn down into Knockturn Alley, to avoid running into his father. Merlin's beard, that had been weird, he'd thought he'd hated his father, but he had nothing, _nothing_, on Barty, Barty had been really bitter ... Nope, doesn't look like Crouch has recognised him.

Crouch says, curtly, "Severus Snape, you have been brought here today to answer charges that you are a servant of the Dark wizard who styles himself Lord Voldemort, that you are a Death Eater. How do you answer?"

Dumbledore speaks for him, "Severus Snape was a Death Eater but he left Voldemort's service forever nearly a year ago. He turned spy for me and provided me with much valuable information."

Crouch is asking another question, "Dumbledore, how do you know that Snape isn't a double-agent? How do you know that you can trust him?"

He feels a stirring of resentment, why can't Crouch just take Dumbledore's word for it? And a touch of fear, but Dumbledore won't say, he promised ... he turns his head to look at Dumbledore, and Dumbledore answers, "That is a matter between myself and Severus Snape."

He looks back at Crouch, but something has changed ... Crouch is looking at him with real loathing and disgust, even without his wand he can tell _that_.

Crouch asks, "When did you become a Death Eater? When did you take the Dark Mark?"

He remembers his branding with the Dark Mark, Lucius had said, _it will sting a bit_, and that had been the understatement of the century ... but why is Crouch asking him these questions, it's all in his written confession, hasn't Crouch even bothered to read it? Or is this just an exercise in humiliation? Hell, what game is Crouch playing at? His eyes flick to the parchment in Crouch's hands. Resentfully, he replies, "When I was eighteen. It's all written down in my confession."

For some reason, this reply seems to make Crouch really angry ... and then he realises, Crouch _knows_ – and no wonder he's pissed, if it comes out that his son is a Death Eater, it will be the end of his career, I can just see the headlines in the _Daily Prophet_, that vicious bitch Rita Skeeter will really make a meal of it!

Crouch looks at Dumbledore, asks, "Dumbledore, was Regulus Black one of your agents?"

He thinks, what's going on? Why is Crouch so interested in Regulus, is it because Regulus and Barty were best mates at school? Why does he have to drag this up? _Bastard_!

Dumbledore shakes his head, says, "I was unaware that Regulus Black had left Voldemort's service until it was too late, until it was too late to help him."

Crouch turns back to him and asks, "How did Regulus Black die?"

He remembers, and the memory is sickening, and he thinks, Regulus must have been made of tougher stuff that I thought, because it took him a while to die even though he'd been knocked around badly – very badly - before I killed him, he lasted ... how long? Five, six minutes? And why is Crouch badgering me about this? If he keeps pushing me like this, I'm going to have to push back.

He answers with just one word, "_Crucio_", and he gives Crouch a poisonous look, a warning look - drop it, Crouch. Read my lips, Crouch, I'm warning you, leave me alone or you'll regret it.

But Crouch won't leave him alone, now he's asking an intolerable question, "What do you know of Voldemort's attack on the Potters? Why did he choose to attack a _baby_? And where is he now?"

Is Crouch an idiot, to push him beyond endurance like this? Barty was a friend, but friendship has its limits ... Crouch, do I have join the dots for you, any more of this and you can kiss goodbye to your hopes of ever being Minister for Magic! He snarls, "I don't know! The Dark Lord didn't tell me everything, and what I do know, I've already told Dumbledore! I've told Dumbledore the name of every Death Eater I ever worked with!"

And he can see by the look in Crouch's eyes that he's finally got the message ... first rage and then fear, yes, Crouch is shitting himself now, he's realised who has the upper hand, and Crouch is turning to Moody, telling him, "I've got no more time for this, I should have been in Courtroom Ten five minutes ago, you can release Snape into Dumbledore's custody - and give him back his wand."

And then a fresh wave of bitterness sweeps over him, _what_ wand? Moody broke it, didn't he, I wasn't expecting to be awarded an Order of Merlin, First Class, but to be treated like this ... and he remembers the firefight in which he'd given Moody his wooden leg, he'd smashed every bone in his leg into fragments, and he thinks, watch out Moody, one day I'll get the chance to finish the job … and I'll pulverise every bone in your body, not just the ones in your leg.


	3. Chapter 3: Albus Dumbledore

**Chapter 3: Albus Dumbledore**

He hadn't been sure what he was going to see when the cell door swung open, Severus has been almost catatonic for the past month – and this was the third day he'd spent in the Ministry's holding cells. The holding cells are not nearly as bad as Azkaban but they are still not pleasant places, and Severus has been so fragile since Lily died … he'd thought, damn you, Alastor, you had my Potions master for _two days_ before you even let me know that you'd arrested him, what game are you playing at? I've been frantic, not even Fawkes could find him, and this past month I've had to stand over Severus just to get him to eat, I've had to put him to bed every night with a goblet of Dreamless Sleep potion, he's been sleepwalking through his classes – though the students seem to be more afraid of him now that when he shouted at them. Dear god, I know how his mind works, he'll be thinking that I don't need him any more, that I've abandoned him, that I've used him as cruelly as Voldemort did.

And then he had been really angry with Alastor - if you've hurt Severus, if you've broken him, I am going to be very, _very_ sharp with you, Alastor Moody. I know what you've suffered at the hands of the Death Eaters, Alastor, but we've all suffered ...

But from what Alastor has said, Severus has been showing fight, he's been much more like his old self, and when the cell door opened, Severus was standing waiting for them in the middle of the tiny room, his arms crossed, his face twisted in the familiar sneer, and his black eyes glinting maliciously behind those greasy curtains of black hair. Severus had acknowledged his presence with one word, "Headmaster", and then smirked at Alastor – and he'd known what was going on, Slytherin power politics, the pendulum has swung in Severus' favour and he means to make sure that Alastor knows it. Damn, damn, double damn, because he needs Alastor, too, Alastor Moody is his right hand man in the Order of the Phoenix, just as Minerva McGonagall is his right hand woman. And he trusts Alastor, trusts him implicitly … though sometimes he has been wrong to trust, look at Sirius Black, and that had hurt, it had hurt terribly to discover that Sirius was the traitor.

Sirius Black! James' closest friend, the best man at his wedding, godfather to Harry … and Severus didn't know, Merlin knows how he hates Sirius Black, but he'd never suspected him of being a Death Eater, he'd been convinced that it was Remus Lupin. He'd thought, I was sure that it wasn't Remus, and it's a sad, cruel joke - I have two tame monsters, my Death Eater and my werewolf, and I can trust them both. No, it wasn't Remus, it was the son of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black, _toujours pur_, the only Black ever to have been Sorted into Gryffindor. How Voldemort must have gloated over ensnaring _that_ recruit – and it would be like Voldemort to keep his two agents ignorant of each other's existence. Severus shouldn't punish himself for his failure, though I know he does, and the poor boy has been through seven hells this past year, trying to keep Lily and her baby safe.

Alastor talks about constant vigilance but how can Alastor know what it takes to guard your mind from Voldemort and not let him know that you're guarding it, to look into his eyes and let him in, let him in but not show him everything? Severus loved Lily, he loved her enough to betray his Dark Lord, he was nearly out of his mind when he came to me, when he came to tell me that Voldemort had chosen Harry Potter as his victim, and begged me to protect the child's mother. I don't know whether he's truly remorseful for the other things he's done, but I know that he regrets telling Voldemort of the prophecy with his whole heart. What did that Muggle poet Oscar Wilde say, _each man kills the thing he loves_. And now Lily, James and Peter are in their graves, Harry is in Surrey with his appalling Muggle aunt and her family, and Sirius is in Azkaban.

Azkaban! Bartemius Crouch sent Sirius to Azkaban without trial and that was wrong, _very_ wrong, but Crouch won't listen to reason, and public opinion is behind him – and public opinion counts with Crouch, he intends to be the next Minister for Magic. He's very zealous indeed, and a good deal of that has to do with the fact that he's a Slytherin - Voldemort and so many of his supporters are Slytherin and it's put the rest of them in a very awkward position indeed. Damn, damn and _triple_ damn you, Voldemort, you've done so much damage, your atrocities against the Muggles brought us perilously close to open war with them, and it will take decades to heal the breach between the Slytherins and the other houses ... oh yes, Crouch is very keen to show the public that he's a _good_ Slytherin. And it's galling that not even _my_ influence could get Sirius a fair trial, but Lucius Malfoy has only been in Azkaban a week and he'll be tried tomorrow! His father Abraxas has pulled every string at his command to get his son out of prison, and there are plenty of idiots like Cornelius Fudge who'll buy Malfoy's story, such a wealthy, distinguished, _generous_ family … but at least Crouch has agreed that if Severus will freely confess to his crimes and show remorse, he'll be spared the humiliation and exposure of a public trial. And that will be tricky enough, getting a confession from him, and what good will it do to rake over the coals! I knew what he was and what he'd done when he came to me, I knew that he'd stepped over a dozen bodies when I gave him the job of spying for me. It would have done no good to throw his crimes in his face, it wouldn't have made him a better spy, and it wouldn't have made him a better person, either – when someone has only a flicker of life left in their soul, you have to blow very gently on the flame if you want to keep it burning, and that's a lesson I wish I had learned sixty years ago, when Tom Riddle first came to Hogwarts.

So he'd walked into the cell, patted Severus gently on the arm, and apologised for the delay, explained that it had been two days before he'd even known of Severus' arrest and today he'd been tied up at the Ministry all morning on urgent business, but he'd come as soon as he could. And then he'd told Severus that he'd have to provide a written confession - Severus had baulked a little, and it was Alastor's turn to look triumphant, the pendulum had swung in his favour now … so Severus had said he'd killed countless Muggles - he'd suspected that there was more to it than that, but he didn't want to push the point – and rattled off the names of the wizards he'd killed or helped to kill – while Alastor listened, seething with contempt and disgust and occasionally interjecting. Poor Severus, although he's never uttered a word of reproach to Severus, it was clear that Severus was afraid of his reaction, afraid that it would be revulsion and anger. And in truth he was revolted and angry, but he'd known that it wouldn't help to show it, it would only upset Severus even more, and at times like this, Severus' mind is like a hurricane - a centre of burning shame surrounded by howling winds of anger and aggression, there's no chance of getting through to him until the storm subsides.

There'd been a few nasty surprises in the list - Gideon and Fabian Prewett, and Regulus Black. Gideon and Fabian … they had fought like tigers, Severus had said that it took five Death Eaters to kill them, and that would be some little comfort to Molly, to know that they'd died like heroes. Regulus Black … he'd known that Sirius' brother was a Death Eater, that he'd turned against Voldemort, and that he hadn't lasted very long afterwards, but he didn't know how he'd died. Regulus and Severus had been friends when they were both at Hogwarts, not terribly close friends, it was really a mutual alliance against Sirius, but they had been friends – and Severus had executed Regulus, on Voldemort's orders; one of Voldemort's tests of loyalty, his cruelty to his followers was scarcely less than his cruelty to his enemies. And then he'd thought, if Voldemort had found Severus out, I expect that he would have had Lucius Malfoy do it, because even now Severus thinks of Lucius as a friend. It was very unfortunate, although understandable, it's a very old trick, that Alastor had put Lucius and Severus into the same cell for a while – most of Severus' old friends from his student days are dead or in Azkaban now, and Alastor had to rub his nose in the fact that he betrayed them.

Eventually, it was over, Alastor had worried at Severus until he got the admission that he wanted, the admission of the corrupting, intoxicating, addictive pleasure of the Killing Curse, and finally Severus had muttered, "I enjoy killing. I don't do it any more. I know it is wrong", and he could get rid of Alastor and be alone with Severus, try to reassure him - it will be over tomorrow, Crouch will see you first thing tomorrow morning, and I won't tell him why I trust you, that secret is safe with me, no one has to know _that_, and it will be quick, we'll be back at Hogwarts in time for morning tea.

And then Severus had told him – Moody broke my wand - and it had almost broken his heart to see how this had hurt Severus. Breaking an adult wizard's wand is a very serious thing, a very serious thing indeed, it is a shameful punishment, only meted out by the Wizengamot to criminals sentenced to Azkaban for life. He'd thought, I never expected Severus to be awarded an Order of Merlin, First Class for what he has done in the war against Voldemort, but why did Alastor have to give him yet another reason to hate the whole world!

And now they're waiting for Crouch, he's running late, which is most unlike him, but the Ministry is still frantic. Voldemort fell only a month ago, he's known to have disappeared and to have been stripped of his powers but he's not dead, there's no body, and despite the initial jubilation people are still very nervous. Rumours and accusations are rife, and the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement is a very, very busy man indeed.

Finally Crouch walks into the room, looking harassed and impatient, nods to him and Alastor, takes Severus' confession from the recording clerk, and unrolls the parchment. He feels a twinge of unease, hasn't Crouch had time to read it beforehand? I hope he's not going to ask a lot of questions, both Severus and Alastor are ready to explode ...

Crouch says, curtly, "Severus Snape, you have been brought here today to answer charges that you are a servant of the Dark wizard who styles himself Lord Voldemort, that you are a Death Eater. How do you answer?"

Severus' eyes flick to him, and he answers, "Severus Snape was a Death Eater but he left Voldemort's service forever nearly a year ago. He turned spy for me and provided me with much valuable information."

Crouch asks, "Dumbledore, how do you know that Snape isn't a double-agent? How do you know that you can trust him?"

Severus turns his head to look at him, and he answers, "That is a matter between myself and Severus Snape."

Crouch is studying Severus' profile, frowning, has he met Severus before? He remembers that Severus and young Barty Crouch were friendly when they were students at Hogwarts together, they were two years apart and they weren't close friends, but he'd seen them together a few times, and he thinks, Bartemius Crouch won't like that - his son associated with a Death Eater, no matter how distantly.

Crouch looks back at Severus, asks, "When did you become a Death Eater? When did you take the Dark Mark?"

Severus' eyes flick to the parchment in Crouch's hands. Resentfully, he replies, "When I was eighteen. It's all written down in my confession."

He thinks, if Crouch is going to run through the whole of that document, Severus is going to lose his temper – and if he antagonises Crouch, he'll end up in Azkaban, if only for a few days, Crouch won't tolerate any insolence from a self-confessed Death Eater, no matter how much valuable information he's provided. Merlin's beard, where's his Slytherin sense of self preservation!

Crouch is clearly fuming with anger now - he's made the connection between Severus and Barty - he's flicking through the parchment, and something catches his eye ... Crouch crumples the parchment in his hands and looks at him, asks, "Dumbledore, was Regulus Black one of your agents?"

Regulus Black, of course! A good friend of young Barty's - and another Death Eater - no wonder Crouch is upset. He thinks, is Barty a Death Eater, too? But surely Severus would have told me, that's important information, if the son of the man who is Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and only one step away from being the Minister for Magic belongs to Voldemort, he would have told me. And I have to trust him, if he can lie to Voldemort, he can lie to me ... and he briefly wonders, _can_ I trust him, will the tool that I have fashioned turn in my own hand one day and cut me? But he knows the answer to that question ... Severus' understanding of the difference between right and wrong may be a little shaky, but he is as loyal as a phoenix to those he loves, he was loyal to Lily, he loved her though she never so much as kissed him, and he is loyal to me because, for his sins he loves me too, though I'm not sure that he would be prepared to admit it.

He shakes his head, says, "I was unaware that Regulus Black had left Voldemort's service until it was too late, until it was too late to help him."

Crouch looks back at Severus, asks, "How did Regulus Black die?"

Hell and damnation, does he have to make Severus say it? Use your imagination, Crouch, how do you think Voldemort would kill a traitor? In the cruellest, most painful way imaginable ...

Severus looks poisonous and answers with just one word, "_Crucio_."

Crouch looks disgusted, a nerve starts twitching in his temple, he switches tack, and asks, "What do you know of Voldemort's attack on the Potters? Why did he choose to attack a _baby_? And where is he now?"

He thinks, if this goes on, I'm going to have to intervene, Crouch is pouring salt into open wounds, and there is no need for this – Severus has told me everything he knows, which isn't much, only that Voldemort has taken steps to ensure his immortality, but Severus doesn't know the details, and I'm not surprised, Voldemort would have shared _those_ secrets only with one or two of the most loyal, the most faithful of his servants.

Severus is being openly defiant, snarling, "I don't know! The Dark Lord didn't tell me everything, and what I do know, I've already told Dumbledore! I've told Dumbledore the name of every Death Eater I ever worked with!"

Alastor is smiling, nastily, no doubt expecting his Head of Department to jump down Severus' throat, but Crouch is saying nothing, just glaring at Severus. Then is a long, tense moment and then Crouch loses interest, he turns to Alastor, tells him, "I've got no more time for this, I should have been in Courtroom Ten five minutes ago, you can release Snape into Dumbledore's custody - and give him back his wand."

He could groan, at least the examination is over, but from the expression on Severus' face he's never going to forget that Alastor broke his wand or overlook an opportunity to revenge himself, and Alastor is looking really disappointed. He thinks, Alastor is not going to forget this, either, and heaven help me if for any reason I ever have to have the pair of them under the roof of Hogwarts at the same time.


End file.
